Braid Screened Steel Wire Armored Signal Control Cable

Braid screened SWA signal control cables combine a tinned copper electromagnetic screen with galvanized steel wire armor for industrial signal and control circuits requiring additional mechanical protection.

ETK Kablo manufactures this range in LIYCYSWAY and LI2YCYSWAY constructions. Standard multicore and TP/TT versions provide different conductor arrangements for industrial automation, monitoring and process-control applications.

The tinned copper braid surrounds the signal core and provides electromagnetic screening. A PVC inner jacket separates this screened core from the galvanized steel wire armor, which provides a separate mechanical protection layer.

What Is a Braid Screened SWA Signal Control Cable?

A braid screened steel wire armored signal cable combines two metallic systems with different engineering functions:

• tinned copper braiding for electromagnetic screening,
• galvanized steel wire armor for mechanical protection.

The copper braid helps protect sensitive signal circuits against electromagnetic interference from nearby motors, drives, switching equipment and power circuits.

The steel wire armor surrounds the PVC inner jacket and provides additional protection against mechanical stress.

These two metallic layers should therefore not be treated as interchangeable.

Tinned Copper Braid vs Steel Wire Armor

The screen and armor perform separate functions within the cable construction.

Construction Element	Material	Main Function
Electromagnetic Screen	Tinned copper braiding	Electromagnetic screening
Inner Jacket	UV-resistant PVC	Separates the screened core from the armor
Armor	Galvanized steel wire armor	Mechanical protection
Outer Jacket	UV-resistant PVC	External cable protection

The tinned copper braid forms the dedicated electrical screen around the signal core.

By contrast, the galvanized steel wire armor primarily addresses the mechanical conditions of the installation.

LIYCYSWAY and LI2YCYSWAY Cable Constructions

ETK Kablo manufactures two principal conductor-insulation systems within this braid-screened SWA range.

Cable Family	Conductor Insulation	Electromagnetic Screen	Mechanical Protection
LIYCYSWAY	PVC	Tinned copper braid	Galvanized steel wire armor
LI2YCYSWAY	Solid polyethylene	Tinned copper braid	Galvanized steel wire armor

Both families use Class 5 stranded electrolytic copper conductors together with UV-resistant PVC inner and outer jackets.

The principal difference lies in the conductor insulation.

LIYCYSWAY uses PVC conductor insulation, while LI2YCYSWAY uses solid polyethylene conductor insulation.

The 2Y designation therefore identifies the polyethylene conductor-insulation system. It does not indicate a different electromagnetic screen, armor or jacket construction.

PVC Inner and Outer Jackets

The current products in this category use UV-resistant PVC for both the inner and outer jackets.

The PVC inner jacket surrounds the copper-braid-screened signal core before the galvanized steel wire armor is applied.

The PVC outer jacket then covers the complete armored construction.

Current ETK Kablo product data identifies the standard jacket color as RAL 7035 grey.

These products belong to the PVC signal-control range and should remain distinct from the corresponding LSZH constructions that use halogen-free jacket materials.

Standard and TP/TT Versions

The current category contains standard multicore and TP/TT constructions.

Version	Conductor Arrangement	Electromagnetic Screen	Mechanical Protection
Standard	Cores stranded in layers	Overall tinned copper braid	Galvanized steel wire armor
TP/TT	Twisted pairs or triads	Overall tinned copper braid	Galvanized steel wire armor

This category currently contains no PiMF/TiMF versions.

What Do TP and TT Mean?

TP refers to conductors arranged as twisted pairs, while TT refers to conductors arranged as twisted triads.

In LIYCYSWAY-TP/TT and LI2YCYSWAY-TP/TT cables, the insulated conductors are first grouped into pairs or triads. These groups are then assembled together before the overall tinned copper braid is applied.

TP/TT therefore describes conductor organization.

It does not mean that each pair or triad receives an individual metallic screen.

The current TP/TT constructions use one overall tinned copper braid around the assembled cable core.

ETK Kablo Braid Screened SWA Cable Range

Product	Insulation	Configuration
LIYCYSWAY Signal Control Cable	PVC	Standard multicore
LIYCYSWAY-TP/TT Signal Control Cable	PVC	Twisted pairs / triads
LI2YCYSWAY Signal Control Cable	Solid polyethylene	Standard multicore
LI2YCYSWAY-TP/TT Signal Control Cable	Solid polyethylene	Twisted pairs / triads

Electrical and Mechanical Characteristics

The current products use Class 5 stranded electrolytic copper conductors according to IEC 60228, EN 60228 and DIN VDE 0295.

Published conductor cross-sections range from 0.22 mm² to 2.50 mm². The available conductor counts and pair or triad arrangements depend on the selected product.

Current product data publishes:

• 250 V DC operating voltage for applicable smaller conductor sizes,
• 300/500 V operating voltage for applicable larger conductor sizes,
• minimum bending radius of 7.5 × overall cable diameter,
• operating temperature range of -30°C to +70°C.

The selected product datasheet should determine the exact values for each project.

Flame Retardancy

The current products publish single-cable flame-retardancy testing according to:

• IEC 60332-1-2,
• VDE 0482-332-1-2,
• BS EN 60332-1-2.

Flame retardancy should not be confused with fire resistance.

Standard LIYCYSWAY and LI2YCYSWAY cables should not automatically be specified as FE180 or PH120 fire-resistant cables.

Projects requiring defined circuit integrity during fire exposure must use a dedicated fire-resistant cable construction with the required classification.

Typical Applications

Braid screened SWA signal control cables can suit fixed industrial installations where sensitive signal circuits require electromagnetic screening together with additional mechanical protection.

Typical applications include:

• industrial automation systems,
• process control installations,
• measurement and monitoring circuits,
• PLC and control-system connections,
• sensors and actuators,
• factory and production infrastructure,
• building automation systems,
• transportation infrastructure,
• signal circuits routed through mechanically exposed fixed areas.

The final cable selection should consider signal sensitivity, surrounding electrical noise, mechanical exposure and installation conditions.

Braid Screened vs Foil Screened SWA Signal Cable

The main difference between these constructions lies in the dedicated electromagnetic screen.

The products on this page use a tinned copper braid around the signal core.

The Foil Screened SWA Signal Control Cable range instead uses Al/PET foil with a tinned copper earthing wire.

Both constructions use galvanized steel wire armor as their mechanical-protection layer.

Construction	Electromagnetic Screen	Mechanical Protection
Foil Screened	Al/PET foil + tinned copper earthing wire	Galvanized steel wire armor
Braid Screened	Tinned copper braid	Galvanized steel wire armor

Braid Screened vs Braided Foil Screened SWA Cable

For projects requiring both foil and copper-braid electromagnetic screening, ETK Kablo also manufactures Braided Foil Screened Steel Wire Armored Signal Control Cables.

Those constructions combine Al/PET foil with a tinned copper braid before the PVC inner jacket and galvanized steel wire armor.

By contrast, the products on this page use the tinned copper braid without an additional overall foil screen.

All three screening systems belong to the broader Steel Wire Armored Signal Control Cable range.

Steel Wire Armored vs Steel Wire Braided Signal Cable

Steel wire armor and steel wire braiding are separate mechanical constructions.

The products on this page use galvanized steel wire armor together with polyester tape.

They should therefore not be described as Steel Wire Braided products simply because both mechanical systems provide additional cable protection.

The required mechanical construction and installation conditions should determine whether SWA or SWB is appropriate.

How to Specify a Braid Screened SWA Signal Cable

A quotation request should define the electrical and mechanical requirements separately.

Requirement	Information to Specify
Cable Family	LIYCYSWAY or LI2YCYSWAY
Configuration	Standard or TP/TT
Conductor Size	Required cross-section according to the signal circuit
Conductor Insulation	PVC or solid polyethylene
Electromagnetic Screening	Tinned copper braid
Mechanical Protection	Galvanized steel wire armor
Installation Environment	Define route, mechanical exposure and environmental conditions
Fire Requirement	Define flame, CPR or circuit-integrity requirements separately
Documentation	Required datasheet, DoP or project-specific documentation

Why Choose ETK Kablo for Braid Screened SWA Signal Cable?

ETK Kablo manufactures braid screened steel wire armored signal control cables for industrial signal circuits requiring both electromagnetic screening and mechanical protection.

The range combines Class 5 stranded copper conductors, tinned copper braid screening, UV-resistant PVC inner and outer jackets and galvanized steel wire armor.

LIYCYSWAY and LI2YCYSWAY insulation options, together with standard and TP/TT constructions, allow engineers, distributors, system integrators and industrial contractors to select the cable according to the electrical circuit and installation conditions.

Frequently Asked Questions About Braid Screened SWA Signal Cable

What is a braid screened SWA signal cable?

It is a signal or control cable that combines a tinned copper electromagnetic screen with galvanized steel wire armor for additional mechanical protection.

What does SWA mean?

SWA means Steel Wire Armor. In this cable family, galvanized steel wires form the mechanical-protection layer around the PVC inner jacket.

Does steel wire armor provide the electromagnetic screen?

No. The dedicated electromagnetic screen is the tinned copper braid. The galvanized steel wire armor primarily provides mechanical protection.

What is the difference between LIYCYSWAY and LI2YCYSWAY?

LIYCYSWAY uses PVC conductor insulation, while LI2YCYSWAY uses solid polyethylene conductor insulation. Both use tinned copper braid screening, PVC inner and outer jackets and galvanized steel wire armor.

What does TP/TT mean?

TP/TT means that the conductors are arranged as twisted pairs or twisted triads before the complete cable core is assembled.

Are TP/TT pairs individually screened?

No. The current TP/TT constructions use one overall tinned copper braid around the assembled pairs or triads.

Are PiMF/TiMF versions included in this category?

No PiMF/TiMF products are currently listed in this category. The current range contains standard multicore and TP/TT versions.

What is the difference between braid screened and foil screened SWA cable?

Braid-screened versions use tinned copper braiding for electromagnetic screening. Foil-screened versions use Al/PET foil with a tinned copper earthing wire. Both use galvanized steel wire armor for mechanical protection.

What is the difference between SWA and SWB?

SWA uses galvanized steel wire armor, while SWB uses galvanized steel wire braiding. They are separate mechanical constructions and should not be treated as interchangeable.

Is this cable LSZH?

No. The products in this category use PVC inner and outer jackets. ETK Kablo maintains a separate LSZH steel wire armored signal-control range for projects requiring halogen-free jacket materials.

Is this cable fire resistant?

Not automatically. The current products publish flame-retardancy testing, but this does not establish FE180, PH120 or another defined circuit-integrity classification.

What information should I provide when requesting a quotation?

Provide the required LIYCYSWAY or LI2YCYSWAY family, conductor cross-section, standard or TP/TT configuration, operating voltage, installation conditions, mechanical requirements, quantity, packing length and required project documentation.